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The ban wasn't a ban on home computers but rather a ban on foreign imports. One could argue that it spawned the creativity of domestic creatives who built the
by ithkuil 2y ago
The ban wasn't a ban on home computers but rather a ban on foreign imports.
One could argue that it spawned the creativity of domestic creatives who built the home computer anyway with the available resources.
I'm not personally favouring protectionism of this sort but we have to be fair to the thing we're criticizing and there is plenty to say about the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia without having to resort to claims that they wanted to ban home computers for the sake of it
- forinti 2y agoIt was probably a matter of not having enough foreign reserves.
- Tade0 2y agoMost likely, as for the same reason seasonal work in the capitalist west was tolerated, even if it couldn't be officially encouraged.
- pavlov 2y agoIronically, protectionism is now the hallmark policy of Trumpists who pretend to be anti-communists.
- cbeach 2y agoIt'll be interesting to see if protectionism works better for America than Yugoslavia. Domestically, America has a strong free market economy, and it has healthy trading relationships with most other nations. What Trump proposes with China is mostly a geo-political play, and will be done in targeted fashion to restore America's industrial production capacity.
- matthewfelgate 2y agoI didn’t say that computers were outright banned; I pointed out that most people were effectively prevented from owning them. It was still the policies enacted by the Socialist government that restricted imports. Also, limiting access to computers and parts isn’t exactly the ideal way to inspire creativity. You can also look at Cuba were personal computers were severely restricted even in 1990s and 2000s. The internet was severely restricted until the mid-2010s!